Card guiding and holding device for type-writing machines.



E. B. HESS. CARD GUIDING AND HOLDING DEVICE FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9, 1912.

Patented Dec. 1915.

A TTORNEV.

llNllfl STATES Fi OFFFUEO EDWARD B. HESS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'IO ROYAL TYPEWRITER COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CAR-D GULiDING AND HOLDING DEVICE FOR TYPE-WRITING MACHINES.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

Application filed July 19, 1912. Serial No. 710,353.

Tod-ll whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, EDWARD B. Hnss, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of Xew York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Card Guiding and Holding Devices for Type-Vriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means, applicable to visible writing machines, that are adapted to hold and guide a card so that printing may readily be done closely adjacent the side and upper and lower edges, and so that the card or sheet is prevented from making contact with the ribbon.

The devices herein disclosed are in a general way analogous to what is disclosed in.

Patent No. 950,326 issued February 22, 1910 to Edward B. Hess; that is to say, there are card holding and guiding extensions that project across the printing line on the platen adjacent the printing point. In the patent referred to these holdin guides, arms or fingers are in the form 0 tapered or longitudinally curved rollers, the taper or longitudinal curvature of which conforms generally to the curvature of the cylindrical platen. In-an application filed by me, Ser. No. 618,282, I have shown such card holding and guiding fingers or projections extending across the printingline as made of sheet metal curved to conform to the curvature of the platen and also curved longitudinally of the platen so that their side edges are thrown forward somewhat and act to cause the edge of a card or sheet, in the transverse movement, of the platen, to pass between theholding and guiding fingers and the platen. In that application, I have shown also suchv projecting guidesor fingers as hinged upon their supports (which extend up in front of the platen and act also as guides) so that they may be collapsed or swung downwardly away from the printing line to expose the same to view. The plane in which they are so swung is oblique to the platen aXis so that the end of the finger will clear the front surface of the platen.

The present invention comprises, broadly,

means for positively locking such a guiding and holding finger in elevated operative position so 'thflat lateral strains exerted by the -ea-ge' of acar'd contacting therewith .when

moving transversely with the platen in either direction cannot disturb them.

The invention may be embodied in a variety of forms. There should be some kind of a locking'bolt or detent device that'holds the finger in elevated operative position and preferably there is a suitable spring the re actlon of which tends to throw the finger to depressed inoperative position. The locle ing bolt or detent preferably is spring pressed so as to automatically positivelv engage the guide finger, when the latter is raised to elevated position.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a partial front elevation showing part of the shift rail, carriage and platen and card holding and guiding devices: Fig. 2. a detail front elevation showing parts to the left hand side of Fig. 1: Fig. 3, a detail view showing a modification: F igml, a vertical transverse sect-ion through Fig. 1: F ig. 5. a partial front elevation taken at an angle to more clearly show the construction: Fig. 6, a minor detail view: Fig. 7, a detail front elevation showing the parts seen in Fig. 5 but with the guide finger elevated: and Fig. 8 a plan showing the hinged finger and its support.

The invention is shown applied to the Royal Standard typewriting machine of which 1 is the shift rail, 2 the carriage bearing balls, 3 the bottom-rail of the carriage, a the rear feed rolls, 5 the front feed rolls and 6 a cylindrical rotatable platen. Fig. i shows the platen in normal lowermost position for lower case printing and the dotted lines indicate the shifted position for upper case printing. Fixed on the shift rail by means of a right angle extension or foot 7 is a plate 8 that extends upwardly, then forwardly to a plane in'front ofthe front feed rolls 5. This plate then extends upwardly but is bifurcated to form two guide arms 10, 11, that respectively extend symmetrically outwardly and then upwardly. This construction is preferred rather than the formation of two separate members constituting arms 10, 11. At a point opposite the front of the platen below the This scale may be adjustable on'the arms 10,

11 as set forth in my patent above men-- that secures arm 10 to scale plate 12 is shown in dotted lines 45 an enlarged square in the center of which is a smaller circle 46 indicating the threaded stem of the screw or bolt; Midway between the arms 1O, 11, there is in the scale plate a recess 13 that affords clearance for the type bars or heads ll as they arrive at the printing point. Centrally disposed in front of the scale is the ordinary typebar guide 15 and the ribbon vibrator 16 that slides vertically on the standard of the guide. The upright arm 11 at the right of the printing point is, in this instance, integrally COl'ltlIlliC'il, its upper end being fashioned into a somewhat pointed finger 17 that is curved to conform generally to the circumferential contour of the platen and is also curved somewhat in lines par allel with the platen, the effect being to throw its side edges 18 forwardly. This finger lies across the lines of print and serves to hold, guide and direct a card or sheet upwardly and rearwardly over the platen. Its fiaring side edges 18 serve to direct the edges of transversely moved sheets or cards between it and the platen. Coiiperating with the platen above the horizontal line in which the operative end of the finger 17 terminates is a paper feeding device, which is indicated as a bail 19 having upon it rolls 20, the bailbeing mounted in the ends of the forwardly projecting arms 21 whose rear ends are appropriately mounted as, for instance. in my above mentioned Patent, No. 950,326.

It is desirable that there shall .be a card or paper guide controlling finger on each side of the printing point and therefore the upright guide or arm 10 is provided'with a card holding and guiding finger 22 corresponding in function with the opposite finger 17. Since, however, these guiding fingers somewhat obscure the printing point on the'platen, l have heretofore, as above referred to. provided that the left hand finger shall be depressed when not required. Both fingers may be so organized, although, ordinarily, the one at the right of the line of print is not particularly detrimental and may he a fixture as. shown in the present case. l-leretofore in constructions invented by me such swinging guide lingers have been friction-ally held. Such a plan has the disadvantage that if the friction device is of suflicient firmness or stability to prevent any displacement of the guide finger, should it be struck by the edge of a card or sheet in the machine, it requires a considerable strain to swing it into and out of operative position and such strains tend to injure the relatively light supporting means 10, 11, 12,

masses and require of theoperator an undesirable amount of exertion. The present invention latch and another that controls the lockingdevice. Both springs may, however, be very light since the amount of work required of them is slight and therefore an exceedingly slight strain is, required to lift the finger into inoperative position. The organization therefore provides perfectly rigidly held finger that cannot be displaced in the'operation of the machine by a card or sheet therein but is automatically thrown down when its lock is tripped. At the upper end of the standard, say that marked 10, it is formed or provided with a horizontal extension 23 that extends laterally from opposite the point of connection of the standard 10 with the scale'plate 12, and is then bent so as to extend forwardly, as at 24, at an angle say of about forty-five degrees and at its outer end it is bent at right angles,

as at 25, to its'part 2 h On the flat portion 24 is fixed a stud bolt 26 about which rocks the guide finger 22 and through which is a dianietrical aperture that receives a reciproeating spring-actuated locking bolt 27 that also passes "through the bent end 25. Around the locking bolt between the head or part 25 and a collar 28 fixed on the bolt is disposed a coiled reaction spring that tends to throw the bolt inwardly.

The guide finger 22 is formed with an integral base plate 29, that has an aperture occupied by the fixed bearing stud 26 and 15 parallel with the oblique portion 24: of the supporting arm or plate The finger 1ncluding its base portion 29 therefore swings in a plane oblique to the aims of the platen to a suitable extent that may be about forty-- five degrees. The finger part 22 is set at an angle to the base portion 29 so that when swung up into operative position it will occupy the same relation to the platen as does the finger 17. Looking at the finger 22 in front elevation, when it is swung into operative position, it will be seen that it is connected with the base portion 29 by a laterally extending part 30 and that the finger part 22 has a straight horizontal bottom edge 31 which, when the finger is elevated, fits and bears against the upper edge of the standard 10. Thebase portion 29 of the finger is formed with a forwardly projecting flange 32 disposed at right angles thereto and in this flange is an aperture 33 (Fig. 4 and dotted lines in Fig. 5). hen the finger is depressed flange 32 is horizontally disposed above the stud bolt 26; but when the finger is moved to elevated position the flange comes to vertical position opposite the locking bolt 27 whose end enters the aperture and positively locks the finger in its working elevated position. Of course, the straight base edge 31 bearing upon the correspondingly straight horizontal upper edge of standard 10 serves to lock the finger against strains tending to move it to the right (as viewed in Figs. 1 and T) and therefore the wall of aperture 38 need only bear against the bolt 27 at its lower edge (as seen in Fig. 7) to lock the finger against strains tending to move it to the left. A. spring 3-1 is coiled around the fixed stud bolt 26 and has one end hooked over the part '2-l of the rigid support and the other end hooked over the base part. of thelocking finger. The reaction of this spring, which may be a very light one, tends to throw the finger down into inoperative position, as in Fig. 5.

The locking bolt 27 is designed, as thus far described, to be grasped by the fingers of the operator for manipulation. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the bolt is operated by a forked bell crank lever 35, the finger piece arm of which is horizontally disposed and is pivoted in a bearing 011 a small bracket- 36 secured to the top plate or dust guard X of the machine. hen the finger piece is to be depressed the forked end 35 of the lever draws the bolt out of engagement with the flange 32 r and permits the spring 3% to throw the finger downwardly.

Fig. 3 shows a vertically disposed finger lever 37 pivoted at 38 by means of a properly disposed bracket upon some fixed part of the frame (such fixed part in the drawing being the top plate or dust guard) and connected intermediate its ends by a link 39' with an eye 40 formed at the outer end of the locking bolt 27. In this construction, the reaction spring for the locking bolt is markedatl and extends between a projection 4-2 on the side of lever 37 and a fixed arm l3 on the lever supporting bracket. In Fig. 3, the link permits the vertical shift of the platen and the paper guiding and controlling devices, there being sufiicient lost motion to ac commodate the slight arc of movement without disturbing the locking bolt.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, vertical movement of the locking bolt, when the platen is shifted, is permitted by the forked end of the elbow lever 85.

I claim:

1. A paper guiding and holding finger, for a 'typewriting machine, that is stationary with respect to the transverse movement of the platen and adapted to extend across the line of print and to be swung downwardl y from in front of the line of print to xpose the same to view of the operator combined with means adapted to positively lock the finger in operative position against lateral strains tending to move it in either direction and to be withdrawn therefrom, leaving the finger free to move.

2. A paper guiding and holding finger adapted to extend across the line of print and to be swung downwardly from in front of the line of print combined with a detent for holding it positively in operative posi tion and a spring for throwing it down into inoperative position when released from the detent.

3. A paper guide extending up in front of the platen and terminating below the printing line and that is stationary with respect to the transverse movement of the platen, a paper guiding and holding finger pivoted thereon and adapted to extend across the printing line in juxtaposition to the su rface of the platen and cooperating therewith and to be swung laterally to a position below the printing line combined with a locking detent acting to positively hold the finger in elevated position.

at. A paper guiding and holding finger adapted to extend across the line of print and to be swung downward from in front of the line of print combined with a spring whose reaction tends to hold the finger down and a spring actuated detent that automatically engages the finger when it is raised to positively lock it in elevated position, said finger being thrown to its downward position by the reaction of-its spring when the detent is withdrawn.

5. A paper guiding and holding finger that is stationary with respect to the transverse movement of the platen and adapted to lie across the line of print and also to be swung downwardly away from the line of print to expose the same to view of the operator combined with a sliding detent means for positively locking the finger in elevated position and a lever for operating the detent.

6. A paper guiding and holding finger adapted to lie across the line of print and also to be swung downwardly away from the line of print combined with spring actuated detent means for positively locking the finger in elevated position, a spring serving to throw the finger to downward position when released by the detent, and a lever pivoted upon a fixed part of themachine within convenient reach of the operator by manipulation of which the finger is released from the detent.

7. A paper guiding and holding finger for a typewriting machine that is stationary with respect to the transverse movement of the platen and adapted to extend across the line of print in coiiperativc relation to the platen and to be moved laterally away from in front of the line of print, combined with means for positively locking the finger in operative position. against strains tending to move it laterally in either direction.

8. A paper guiding and holding finger stationary with respect to the transverse movement of the platen, curved to conform to the curvature of the platen and adapted to extend across the line of print and to be swung laterally from in front of the line of print, a support upon which the finger is mounted to be swung in a plane oblique to the axis of the platen and means for positively locking the finger in operative position against strains tending to move it laterally. in either direction.

masses -9. A paper guiding and holding fingerv for a 'typewriting machine that is stationary with respect to the transverse movement of the platen and adapted to extend across the line of print in cooperative relation to, the platen in its normal operative position and capable of being moved to a second position in which it uncovers the line of print, and. means adapted to positively lock it in normal operative position and to be Withdrawn therefrom, leaving the finger free to move.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto.

subscribed my name.

EDWARD B. HESS. Witnesses GEORGE F. HANDLEY, ANDREW J. SHERIDAN. 

